Hunza: Protesters demand freedom for ‘political prisoners’
HUNZA: Hundreds gathered in Hunza to demand the release of the 14 youth, activists, jailed for protesting against the police-killing of a father and son in 2011 after the devastating Attabad landslide disaster.
The protest was organized by the “Rihayi Committee”, and attended by the family members of the jailed youth, leaders of all major political parties (PTI, PML-N, PPP, AWP, MWM and nationalist parties) and the associations of business, hotels and transporters, along with elders, women and children.
The protesters demanded immediate release of the youth languishing in difference jails for the last 8 years. They also demanded to make public the findings of judicial commission report of Aliabad incident and arrest of the killers of the father and son.
They threatened to expand the protests to other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, if their demands were not met within a week.
On 11 August 2011, Hunza police had opened fire on a group of IDPs in Aliabad protesting for compensation for the affectees of Attabad disaster. Two protesters Afzal Baig, 22-year-old student, and his father lost their lives in this incident.
The murder of the IDPs caused widespread protests in Hunza. Police arrested several youths including Baba Jan on charges of vandalizing public property.
Reporting Team: Ikram Najmi, Farman Karim Baig and Bahram Khan
